Tebas's post sets off the clash

On Friday, 16 October 2026, Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, wrote on X that the leadership of Real Madrid was running 'an orchestra of mouthpieces' in which Real Madrid TV took the lead. He accused the channel of selecting the plays that suited it, repeating grievances, feeding suspicion and pointing at enemies. Tebas likened that method to propaganda techniques used by Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germany's propaganda minister, namely systematic repetition, the construction of an enemy and the subordination of facts to a narrative. He stressed that the comparison was with those techniques, not with an ideology and certainly not with Real Madrid supporters. Earlier, he had publicly criticised the club's TV channel for regularly airing compilations of scenes that the club considers serious refereeing mistakes.

Real Madrid demands his resignation

Real Madrid replied shortly after with a statement demanding Tebas's 'immediate resignation' as president of LaLiga and as vice-president of the Real Federación Española de Fútbol. The club said his conduct showed a lack of neutrality, respect and impartiality that was incompatible with his institutional duties, and it called his attacks 'a real plague for Spanish football'. Tebas's post had targeted both the club's leadership and Real Madrid TV by name. The club described the comparison as 'absolutely intolerable' and of extraordinary gravity.

“The clarification that he does not refer to Nazi ideology does not mitigate its deeply offensive, morally repugnant and institutionally unworthy character.”

Tebas hits back and cites past remarks

Tebas responded with a second statement accusing Real Madrid of attacking LaLiga through its media, and he listed earlier moves against him. He said that in thirteen years the club's leaders had asked for his resignation or tried to have him disqualified, through complaints to the CSD, directly or through third parties, and through criminal lawsuits. He also recalled a press conference on 12 May 2026, when Florentino Pérez, announcing Real Madrid's elections, said he could have won 14 Leagues but the others had been stolen from him. On Negreira, Pérez added that the referees were still the same, which Tebas said raised the question of who should protect the competition's integrity.

“They confuse neutrality with independence. My office requires independence, not passivity in the face of injustice.”

The CSD review and what remains open

La Razón, citing Efe, reported that the Consejo Superior de Deportes was studying acting on its own initiative over Tebas's remarks and could sanction him. Tebas reacted to that reporting on X, asking that any review begin by reading what he had written. He also asked that some background on free expression be reviewed, which he said had not been taken into account. His wording suggested the review had not been confirmed at that point.